Hi all,
After 3 years of study I have been offered a job at my first interview.
I am however unsure which path to take.
I have 2 options that have been given to me.
1) place nearer to home in LAC
2) place further away but in ch + families team. - this is the type of team I would rather work in but is a lot further away.
I am currently in a ch + families team on placement and absolutely love it. I was hoping to remain in this area to gain experience of CP, care proceedings, court etc when I am a NQSW.
Would I gain as much experience in LAC. I am not being dismissive to those in LAC but others have the view that in LAC you dont learn as much about CP, court etc.
I am really trying to think which option would give me the greatest learning expereince within the next couple of years - I say this as within the next few years I would like a family of my own and hence want the broadest expereince before I need to stop to have my own family. I think I sound ever so mercenary but am merely trying to explain my situation!!!
Any advice appreciated. Thank you.
I can't offer any advice, but simply wanted to congratulate you. Well done on being offered a position!!!
Thanks queenb......not quite sunk in yet!!!
Well done squirrel. A long way from home? Not in the south west are you?
Without a doubt you should take the C&F post. The main thing as a new SW is to recognise and understand CP issues and processes, as these are things that you will work with again and again though your career. If you get a good grounding in these areas, you can do anything, and all areas of SW require staff with these skills. It will be a roller coaster, and you will definitely have days when you wish you hadn't made that choice, but it will be the best decision you ever made.
Thank you for your replies. I was already thinking the C+F postion would be better for the exact reasons given.
Bod...I am still 'merely' a student but it is great to know after 3 years of hard work I have gained employment!!
I haven't yet heard from the authority I am currently on placement with...that would be a coup to be offered a post with them too! It still hasn't all sunk in but the relief is palpable!!!
In the LA I am placed with (final year BA) they are happy to let NQSWs going into LAC to hold some long term CP cases as well to give frontline experience - obviously this is only if you want that different experience and not on top of your LAC caseload.
As much as its important that you are working in the area you are most interested in, it is also important to be realistic about travelling time. My first placement was fantastic but the 50 minute commute was hardwork and completely inpractical long term!
Hopefully you will get an offer at the LA you are working at now and that it is nice and local! x
squirrel: Hi all, After 3 years of study I have been offered a job at my first interview. I am however unsure which path to take. I have 2 options that have been given to me. 1) place nearer to home in LAC 2) place further away but in ch + families team. - this is the type of team I would rather work in but is a lot further away. I am currently in a ch + families team on placement and absolutely love it. I was hoping to remain in this area to gain experience of CP, care proceedings, court etc when I am a NQSW. Would I gain as much experience in LAC. I am not being dismissive to those in LAC but others have the view that in LAC you dont learn as much about CP, court etc. I am really trying to think which option would give me the greatest learning expereince within the next couple of years - I say this as within the next few years I would like a family of my own and hence want the broadest expereince before I need to stop to have my own family. I think I sound ever so mercenary but am merely trying to explain my situation!!! Any advice appreciated. Thank you.
As an experienced CP worker I have to oppose the advice you have been given. Working in a LAC team will give you a thorough understanding of the factors in a families life that resulted in the focus children being brought into care you will also get the opportunity to engage in future planning for young people and if your'e lucky do 1 : 1 work, you'll get the opportunity to see young people flourish and grow all within the context of a team that isn't running around disappearing up it's own backside.
For further consideration - there is a body of opinion that newly qualified workers shouldn't be going into a CP team; NQSW pilot programmes specifically keep you away from CP and courtwork. you certainly shouldn't be going anywhere near court or going near full on CP work unless you want to be one of the legion that leaves. you don't "do" court work as a social worker; you write statements under pressure because your CP caseload is always excessive and hang arouind ouitside court waiting to grilled by a defence barrister. The LA solicitor does all the court work.
CP isn't the mystique that it is thought to be, again it is procedural and most often not very inspiring, as Part of a CP plan you have most of the core group do the work that you would do in a LAC team. You montior what they do and act as a point of reference. Another point worth considering is that if you leave social work for a while legal processes and CP procedures may well change and your experience would be outdated.
have to disagree with that previous comment - I am lucky to live somewhere where I have a choice of LAs to work (4 to be precise) all are offering final year bursary posts and all are employing for frontline teams (duty and assessment and Family support).
Whilst any team manager worth their salt would not allow a NQSW to lead completely on a CP case and prepare all the work for court, i would suggest that this is perhaps done on an individual basis of experience and ability.....
Thank you all.
I have decided to meet with the Manager of one of the children and families that I am interested in to get a feel for them and some of the team.
To be honest the LA have been great, fully appreciating that it is a big decision and giving me the time and space to ensure I have all the information available so I make the right decision.
Regarding CP and court work, I am aware that NQSW shouldn't be 'thrown in the deep end with this'. I suppose I see this as something I would like to experience BUT once I am ready. In the team I am in placement with one social worker is going to court for the first time soon and she has been qualified for several years so I do think good LA's won't rush this. Another social worker is at the end of NQSW and they have just started their first PLO.
I had a really hectic day today but can already see how much I have learnt in the 3 months I have been on placement. I now cannot wait to finish and to continue developing.
supersonic: have to disagree with that previous comment - I am lucky to live somewhere where I have a choice of LAs to work (4 to be precise) all are offering final year bursary posts and all are employing for frontline teams (duty and assessment and Family support).
Still doesn't answer the question about advice though; you are extremely lucky to live in the elysian fields of social work, stop and think why final year bursaries are offered, you have answered the perennial recruitment and retention problem yourself. "All are employing for frontline teams" Why? because a lot of experienced workers can't wait to get the hell out of frontline work.
I have 4 authorites around me, I have worked in all and all bar one have had catastrophic retention problems in their frontline services. I have worked in a team where I was one of a team of 2!!! there should have been 7!!! In the same local authority one team I had worked in lost 5 workers in one day!! many workers went on long term sick, many left social work. However this is the dark side of frontline work but does need to be pointed out to someone who is wondering what sort of team to go into.
The NQSW programme does not allow for court work or CP in the first year it doesn't matter whether the manager is worth salt or gold!!! having had to shadow and mentor NQSW's has led me to question the integrity of social work education, I won't detract from the quality and enthusiasm of the individuals but they were frankly a liability and much of their work had to be undone and PR exercises carried out to rebuild damaged relationships. Frontline CP teams in areas which are in crisis or have a very high social dysfunction indicator are not the place for NQSW's until they have gained experience in other areas of children's work; there is merit in the idea that they do an "internship" in CP and shadow experienced workers. Again, without being critical, there are very very few NQSW's who have the experience and ability needed purely because they are NQSW's and inexperienced.
Finally in one LA close to me their initial assessment / CP team will only employ senior social workers as they know what to expect.
Hi again!
I know of 2 NQSW's going to referral and assessment teams straight out of Uni. Now that does scare the sh1t out of me!!!
erm, I never gave an opinion on whether or it was a good idea and personally have no interest in bursary schemes - just pointing out that they do employ NSQWs in CP teams that take on proceedings.
I say it depends on experience and ability because in my case I am very experienced in some senses as I come late to social work from a legal career - no obviously not the same thing, but I am undertaking court work with support and believe i'm actually doing quite well in what i am doing - I'm just saying that in the main, yes it could be a disaster but for some NQSWs its a possibilty for them to start work on proceedings.
LAs are all different right? some good, some not so good, You clearly have a lot of experience, and I cant make too much comment except to say in the team i'm in NQSWs are working on proceedings with support.
I'm certainly not criticising your view, i'm just pointing out that its not the same everywhere .........
Oh, and I had already given my advice and opinon on what i thought of squirrels query, i was just commenting on your post
Firstly, I would like to say congratulations on your job offers.
I am a NQSW working in a children and families team, I have CIN, CP and LAC cases, and my final placement for my degree was in a LAC team in a different LA. On a personal opinion, I am far happier in the C + F team than I was in the LAC team, this may be bacause I did not feel supported while on placement and now in the C + F team I feel far more supported. I find the work more challenging, but again this is likely to be because I was a student and therefore had a lower case load while on placement, I am not saying one is more difficult than the other. In my opinion I would rather work in CP as I enjoy the range of work I get to do, I can also see your point of view that it may be better for career progression in the future, although I don't feel I can comment on this.
I think you are doing the right thing by meeting with the team manager and doing your research, I think often the team and LA is more important than the area you work in. Although, the distance you travel to work will have a bearing on how you feel in that job as while most people don't work in the area they live you don't want to face a long drive to and from work which will stress you out more than necessary as it is more than likely that you will end up working late a lot of the evenings.
Lastly, I would like to say, enjoy it, I have been in post for 7 months now so am still new to the profession but I really enjoy my job and what I do, this is largely down to the supportive team and good management and supervision I recieve, so these would be things to consider and ask about when meeting the team/manager. I am already doing CP and some court work, and it is only a recommendation that NQSW's don't so this for the first year, but I feel fully supported throughout this and looking back I can see how much I have learnt since starting, so I wish you all the best with this.